


Negative Time

by setosdarkness



Series: Clockwork of Regrets [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Post canon, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-20
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-05-15 04:58:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5772193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/setosdarkness/pseuds/setosdarkness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This particular Thursday means that today is the start of the doomsday clock on Bokuto’s life, because Akaashi wouldn’t have been there to lure his assassin in a place with Bokuto in it, wouldn’t have had to need Bokuto to shield him from the bullet with his body, wouldn’t have caused Bokuto to die, if he wasn’t in a relationship with Bokuto to begin with.</p><p>This particular Thursday, Akaashi gets a chance to right his wrongs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Negative Time

**Author's Note:**

> A dies to protect B from harm, something that only happened because A and B are in a relationship. If A and B were not together, then A wouldn’t have had to sacrifice himself, then A wouldn’t have had to die - right? So B takes up the chance to repeat their lives, but only this time, B swears to be A’s sworn enemy so that A will not get the chance to sacrifice his life for B.
> 
> (inspired by izayas’ Shizuo/Izaya time-travel fic)

***  
  
“...Okay, Bokuto-san.”  
  
Akaashi simply walks away from the slumped form of his captain, easily ignoring the other’s whining and stomping about a missed spike. Bokuto’s mood-swings are something that every single member of their volleyball club knows - it’s been added to the orientation of the new joiners ever since Bokuto has joined them enthusiastically as a loudmouth first year.  
  
Due to its very nature of unpredictability, nobody’s been able to predict just what would set Bokuto off, just when it would start rearing its ugly head, just how long would they need to ignore the other’s antics before he bounces back to his feet more energetic than ever.  
  
Nobody... Aside from Akaashi.  
  
Akaashi’s magic-like ability to predict and be prepared for all things Bokuto has garnered him profound respect from coaches and teachers alike. It has definitely granted him some overly exaggerated words of gratitude from his fellow club members, too thankful that they can leave the handling of their childish ace to someone reliable.  
  
Of course, there are those who think that the ability is only born out of the loving relationship he has with Bokuto.  
  
...They’re not exactly wrong.  
  


_***** before** _

>   
>  “Keiji!!!”  
>    
>  “...Yes, Koutarou-san.”  
>    
>  “Keiji!!! DID YOU SEE IT? DID YOU SEE IT? DID YOU SEE HOW MY SPIKE WENT ALL WOOSH?!!! THE INNER SPIKE WORKED AND--DID YOU SEE IT???”  
>    
>  Keiji chuckled warmly at his partner’s enthusiastic bouncing, sweat drops flicking about in the near vicinity, but nobody really cared too much. Especially since the person who scattered the sweat about was the ace of Japan’s National Volleyball Team, the one who scored the final decisive point in the just-concluded match against one of their toughest rivals.  
>    
>  “I saw it, Koutarou-san. You were amazing.”  
>    
>  “AREN’T I?!!!! WE WON, KEIJI!!!”  
>    
>  “That, you did. Congratulations.”  
>    
>  “Reward me, Keiji!!!”  
>    
>  Keiji usually avoided any sort of public displays of affection. While he wasn’t too worried about the opinion of the public - the only opinions that mattered were his and Koutarou’s, and the people they cared about; both of their families have been extremely delighted about their relationship, which was a blessing that he treasured every single day - he was of the opinion that those matters have their specific time and place.  
>    
>  The reserved viewing box in a very public stadium, with a couple of newscasters simply a meter away hardly counts for that time and place that he had in mind.  
>    
>  Nevertheless, Keiji leaned in and dropped a quick peck to Koutarou’s cheek, much to the delight and squeals of the fans nearby and to the amused chuckles of some of Koutarou’s teammates.  
>    
>  Red was spreading on Koutarou’s cheeks from the motion - he probably didn’t expect Keiji to give in, especially since that very quick peck was probably still captured by a camera or ten. Keiji wasn’t exactly shouting about his relationship with the other at every opportunity, but he wasn’t the littlest bit ashamed of being seen as supporting his loved one.  
>    
>  Keiji opened his mouth to comment on the blush that didn’t seem to want to recede, but then he noticed that the red was spreading - no, it was moving, and oh it was really red and not just a healthy blush and it took a few terrifying seconds before Keiji’s stomach dropped and he realized what that red meant.  
>    
>  Akaashi Keiji did not continue to pursue volleyball after college, content in letting his partner shine in that field. What he did after college was to move up the ranks of the police; sharp eye, steady hand, incredible intuition all more than made up for his stature that was less bulky than a lot of his colleagues. In a short span of time, he was given the reins to spearhead a taskforce dedicated to investigating and bringing down hackers who had proliferated in the age of technology.  
>    
>  He was protecting Japan’s citizens from online threats, from hackers that mostly stayed inside the cocoon of their 1LDK apartments. He was protecting Koutarou’s online accounts with easily-guessable passwords. He was protecting something.  
>    
>  The red tracer had moved away from Koutarou’s face and he had a feeling that it was now firmly planted on his own forehead.  
>    
>  Just a few more seconds - and his hand was frozen as he attempted to reach for his phone to tap out a Morse code for the situation. A few more seconds and Koutarou’s eyes widened, undoubtedly able to see the red mark that doomed him, quickly placing two and two together and arriving at the fact that someone was planning to assassinate him in the middle of a highly-publicized and highly-televised international match.  
>    
>  Just a few more seconds - and before he could even move, Koutarou was shoving at him, yelling at him, grabbing at him.  
>    
>  There was so much red that surrounded him.

  
  
_***** now**_  
  
Akaashi spends his first day back in this very moment, in this very plane of existence, greedily reading through all articles he can find regarding alternate universes. He quickly disregards fictional accounts, effectively reducing his reading pile by a huge chunk. He doesn’t need any uncertainties - he has left the previous world that he has in order to save Bokuto-san. There can’t be any mistakes.  
  
Even without an expert-level of knowledge in this miracle opportunity that he has come across, Akaashi doesn’t need to check the calendar to know what today is.  
  
Thursdays mean no classes, with only the weekly practice game with Minami Technological University where Kuroo and Kenma are. The thought of Kuroo being anywhere that’s not politics shocks Akaashi still, even though he knows of the things that the other has accomplished in the other world. It seems that even if he picked a technology-focused school just so Kenma would definitely follow him, he still found his way to thrive.  
  
Akaashi carefully doesn’t think of how the other world’s Kenma and Kuroo are, right now, because worrying about others when he still has Bokuto to think about isn’t something that he wants to spend time on.  
  
This particular Thursday means that Kuroo checks in on Bokuto and continues to nudge him to confess his feelings for Akaashi and finally confront the relationship that they’ve been cultivating since high school. This particular Thursday means that today is the start of the doomsday clock on Bokuto’s life, because Akaashi wouldn’t have been there at that match, wouldn’t have lured his assassin in a stadium filled with people, wouldn’t have had to need protection from that bullet, if he wasn’t in a relationship with Bokuto.  
  
This particular Thursday means that he has a chance from preventing future tragedies.  
  
Akaashi Keiji leaves his dorm this particular Thursday with just his volleyball jersey and his duffel bag.  
  
The engagement ring that has been brought over along with him from the other universe is at the bottom of his bedside drawer, buried under printouts about alternate universes.

  
_***** before** _  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> ...koutarou isn’t dead isn’t isn’t isn’t isntisntisntisnt---

  
_***** now** _

  
(because bokuto is bokuto, he doesn’t simply ask akaashi on a date or to be his boyfriend or to be anything else. because bokuto is bokuto, he simply ploughs through and presents a ring that must have cost a fortune, offering up his heart to akaashi so earnestly. because bokuto is bokuto and akaashi loves him, akaashi must do this)  
  
“I have a girlfriend, Bokuto-san. And if I may speak frankly, even if I didn’t have one, I wouldn’t be interested in being with you like that. Let’s just continue to get along well as friends?”  
  
  
  
  


 

 

 

  
  
  
  
_...this way, koutarou isn’t dead isn’t isn’t isn’t isntisntisntisnt---_

**Author's Note:**

> while my original plan is to have this fic just end here, i also have some ideas as to how this can be a part of a longer series. but for now, it's tagged as complete. if you managed to read until here, thank you so much for reading and giving this a chance! *hides*


End file.
